Good questions.... I too am hoping to pull a similar yucca rabbit out of our zone 3/4 hat here in NW BC...lol.... there might be some clues in my thread...Yucca filamentosa below..... it is the same for Japanese Maples for me.... of which there is a very good post below....JMs in Manitoba.

Good luck...I eagerly await good and successful reports!

Ron

I think the best thing would be to plant it outside as soon as possible, so it can start establishing itself before winter.

They like full sun but do okay in part sun, well drained soil ideally on the drier side, though mine seems to tolerate soggy periods where the soil doesn't dry out. But I find mine does better with good winter snowcover. After the first few snowfalls I ensure I surround it with a mound of snow to protect it from the winter sun. They are evergreen, like conifers. Some years the bladed leaves suffer winter dessication (damage) from the hot sun in late Feb/March while temperatures are still below freezing. Some years almost all the leaves on mine die, but by mid summer the plant has regrown from the roots and recovered. It is pretty tough.

You mention your plant is only 2 feet tall with pot. They really don't get that much taller, maybe 2 feet tall in total but of course if they bloom the flower spike rises up above the plant. They aren't like the houseplant tree type yucca, however, which gets tall with a woody trunk.

Here is the link to the recent discussion on them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yucca Filamentosa

Despite a "tropical" look, yuccas can take cold and dry. Think "desert" - those are the places they come from and deserts can be very cold places, you know. I suspect that cold and MOIST would probably do them in. So agree with glen3a, get them in the ground the sooner, the better. Look for a very sunny spot where there is no standing water.

Good luck!